Wire fence



(NoModeL) H. B. RAINS & G. TARKINGTON.

WIRE FENCE.

Patented Mar. 31, 1885 JJ/i M TORS.

W T VESS S Attorneys N. Parana mmmm 'mm WashingtorLP. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH BARRY RAINS AND GEORGE TARKINGTON, OF DANVILLE, KEN TUOKY.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,877, dated Idiarch 31, 1885.

(No model.)

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HUGH B. RAINS and GEORGE TARKINGTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Boyle and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Wire Fence, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings;

This invention has relation to wire fences, and it has for its object to provide a fence of this class that shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, cheapness, durability, and general efficiency; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a perspective view of a section of a wire fence embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the keyed stays which are employed to stay the wires between the fence-posts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the blocks to which the ends of the wire are secured. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the guide-brackets having a diagonally-slitted base and perforations near its corners. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the arm and brace used at the, end or corner posts of the fence. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the stay with the key-rod removed. Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the spool which forms the connection between the braces and the horizontal arm.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A designates the corner or end post at one end of the fence, and B designates the end or corner post at the other end of the line of fence.

0 designates the intermediate fence-posts, and D the fence-wires, which may be either plain ones, barbed wires, or ribbon-wires, as may be desired.

The intermediate fence-posts, C, may be from fifty to one hundred or one hundred and fifty feet apart, the keyed stays shown in Fig. 2 being used to stay the fence-wires between the fence-posts. The end post, A, is bored through in the direction of the line of the fence to form a hole, E, for each wire of the fence, and as many wiresas may be desired are used. The ends F of the wires D are secured, after being passedthrough their respective holes E, to grooved blocks G, and are thus connected to the post A. This post is set firmly in the ground, as great strain comes upon it, and it is strengthened above the ground by being braced in the following manner: An arm, H, shouldered near one end, is threaded on that end, and this threaded end is passed through a hole made in the post parallel to the holes E, on a level with the surface of the ground, and is secured in place by means of a nut, I. The other end of the rod or arm H is provided with an eye, 1, which encircles a horizontallyarranged spool, J, having an opening or passage bored centrally through the same to receive a bolt, J, and to this bolt J are secured two upwardly-inclined braces, K K, the upper ends of which are bolted to the sides of the post A. The spool prevents the bolt from breaking under great strain, and as the arm H bears its full length on the ground,the post is very firmly braced against the strain that must necessarily come upon it. i

In putting the parts together the eye I on end of arm H is slipped over the spool J to about the center of the latter, as shown in Fig. 5. The braces K K are connected to the spool by passing the bolt J through the openings in the ends of the braces and the passage in the spool, a nut being employed to make the connection secure in every respect, and yet allow a slight movement of the spool to take the strain off the brace. The wires are connected with the intermediate fence-posts by guide-brackets L, of malleable iron, in the following manner: The guide brackets L have eyes Land diagonally-slitted bases U, with perforations L near each corner. The fencewires are slipped through the diagonal slits M into the eyes L, and the guide-brackets L are then turned so that their upper and lower edges will be horizontal, and are nailed to the intermediate fence-posts. The eyes L do not bind the fence wires, but simply support them.

In putting up our improved fence it is necessary that the wires should be stretched, and for this purpose any suitable means may be employed. Each wire is stretched separately, and after all have been drawn taut the keyed stays U are put in place on the wires at proper points between the fence-posts to stay the wires. These keyed stays U (shown in Fig. 6) are formed of wire in the following man her: A piece otwire of the proper length'is tion.

, seats.

- D near the surface of the ground.

first bent to form a series of.U.-shaped bends, A therein, all of which project in the same direction, and they are made at intervals on the wire corresponding to the nu mberoft'encewires. The arms at the end of the blank thus formed are provided with eyes NV, for the passage of the key-rod X. The latter is constructed of heavier wire than that of which the stay is composed, and has a bend, X, pro vided at its upper end to prevent it from slipping down through the upper eye,

The U -shaped bends of the stay U (one of which is seen in Fig. 6) are then bent alternately in opposite directions, so that the bent portion a, will be parallel with the main portion, thus providing seats for the fencewires,

, as shown in Fig. 2. The fence-wires D are thenpassedinto the seats, and the key-rod X is inserted through the eye \V, and parallel with the stay, through the loops formed between the bent portion a and the main por- Since the loops of the U shaped bends A are arranged alternately in opposite direc tions, the key-rod will be held firmly in position, and when adjusted will clamp or bind against the wires and hold the latter in their Any desired number of-these keyed stays may be employed between the fence posts to properly support thewires of the fence and prevent sagging. By the connection shown the Wires cannot get out of their seats unless the key is removed. Where the fence runs over ravines or small depressions, the lower wires, D, are anchored to rocks sunk in the ground, a piece of wire being used to make the connection, and this brings the wires The end posts and corner posts are recessed at opposite sides at their lower ends, and also near the tops of the portions that are sunk in the ground, as shown at p p, at right angles to the line of the fence, and in these recesses 19 19 pieces of timber q q are secured, their ends projecting one foot from the sides of the posts inclined braces secured to the spool and the post by bolts, substantially as specified.

2. The combination,with the fence posts and wires, of the guide-brackets comprising diagonally slotted or 'divided bases, and eyes having their ends secured each to asection of the said bases, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with thefence posts and wires, of the guide bracket comprising the base portion L diagonally slotted or divided centrally, as shown, to allow the passage of the wires, and the metallic eye L, having its ends secured to the base portion on each side of the slot, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with theend post, of horizontal arms attached to the same at one end, a spool fitted to the other end of the arm, and braces connected to the spool and attached to said end post, arranged and operating as de scribed, whereby when the strain comes on the braces the spools will yield orturn slightly with the saidbraces, for the purpose set forth.

' Iii-testimony thatwe claim the foregoingas our own we have hereto aftixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

- -HUGH BARRY RAINS.

GEORGE TARKINGTON. Vitnesses to Rains signature: THEODORE MUNGEN,-

XVILMoT L. HARRIS. \Vitnesses toTarkingtons signature: E. G. SIceERs, O. W. DASHIELL. 

